Baby not draining boob at night so waking more often...

[Nickname1980]

I really struggled with my milk supply so - up until last week - every feed I was topping up with formula.

My supply is now loads better. The odd feed in the day still is, but at night, I have enough milk and my 5-wk-old is solely breastfed.

But when he was getting formula, he wasn't so sleepy, would drink more, then sleep for four hours.

Breastmilk makes him sleepy. So he doesn't fully drain my boobs and then wakes for a feed every two hours. (This is at night.)

How can I get him to drink more at night and sleep more?! I was so chuffed to get my supply up, but am now missing formula night feeds! I'm exhausted!

(I know two hours is normal, it's just that I know he's capable of four...)

Breast milk is digested so much easier and therefor quicker than formula, so he's waking 2 hourly because that's when his belly is empty as opposed to 4 hourly when he had formula. So yes it's completely normal I'm afraid and not really anything you can do about it but wait until he starts associating night with bed time. Right now he's running on a 24h clock that doesn't differentiate so he'll feed as frequently at night as he does through the day. That should start to change in the next couple of months. Then you'll hit the 4 month sleep regression and it'll all go to shit anyway

Oh and he may well be drinking just as much at night as he does during day feeds but because supply is generally higher at night for everyone it just might not feel like he's taking as much because they don't feel as empty as when he feeds during the day

That explains why I always feel so full at night, 8days! I just thought he wasn't drinking as much.

But argh - I so hoped for a good sleeper this time! 😫 Well, he's only 6 weeks. I still have time and all my fingers crossed...

(As I frantically google what to eat to make breastmilk creamier...)

At 6 weeks two hourly was the norm for us then 3 hourly then by 3 months he woke once for a feed!! Then 4 months hit and it went back down to hourly wakes though that wasn't all for feeds.

Some people reckon there's a foremilk and hindmilk difference; the latter being thicker so it's important to finish a breast before switching to the next or they'll only get foremilk. However a lot of people claim that's outdated info and not true. In case it is though, you could try expressing a little first to remove some of the thinner milk so they get the creamier 'hindmilk'? If you're like me you'll try anything for a good sleep